Lesson 3252

 (Lesson 3252)(11-28-20) Matthew 28:18-20

    “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

   Yesterday we discussed the actual meaning and intent of the word “baptizing”, as that word was transliterated and applied in Matthew 28:19. We established that Jesus, in fact, instructed His apostles to immerse (by teaching) all willing souls into the “name of” or into the concept of, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. That was to be accomplished, as Jesus said, by “teach"ing the word to “all nations” and demonstrating that Jesus IS the Son of God and that, by the grace of God, through faith in His only begotten Son, the lost can receive everlasing life. Jesus DID NOT intend of imply that we are to dip ANYONE into, or sprinkle them with water. 

    There is ONLY ONE remitter of sins. That is the soul cleansing blood of Jesus Christ crucified. Water baptism has NOTHING to do with the remission of sins. When explaining His baptism to His followers, John the baptist said, “I indeed baptize you with water UNTO (toward) REPENTANCE, but He that cometh after me is mighteir than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:" 

    In that statement, John made it very clear that a baptism into the Holy Ghost is the baptism that provides a spiritual rebirth.  Water baptism was, for the Jews, only a prerequisite to REPENTANCE as was required by Hebrew law, it was NEVER intended to be a remitter of sins.~